Harness girth-connecting means



u: M- R cows-:LL 1548.023

HARNESS Gnu comlwnno laws Filed man 1.4. 192s 'Inl/lm n I f al',

VJJ/ WM f77-Tonner:

Patented Aug. 4, i925.

MARQUIS BAY GOWELL; or WINNHEG, MANrdBA, CANADA-ff iiiinnnfss GiRTI-conn'no'rne MEANS;

Appiicaaoni ned: Marcil; 14, 1923i. Serial" no; eas-,124.

Be it known that l, MAncUs RAY. CownL'L, a` citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and resident of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, Canada', have invented certain new anc useful Improvements in Harness GirtheCong necting` Means, or which the following "is i a specification".

This ini'fenti'on relates to improvements in harnesses particularly adapted'for use in hitching or harnessing a horser or. team othorses and more particularly vrelates to the girth connecting. means of suehriharnesse's.` f Y 1 Harnesses of ordinary Aconstructionv are. usually provided with :a 'one-,piece girth,

` having one end secured' to' the harness upon ii of' girth', y Y y Y tachably connectedv to the rear end of the one side of the horse. ,The other end oil this girth passes under the horse (just hack of the Jfront legs) through`V a loop. in the martingale, or n'eclryolre strap, and thence to the other sidefwhere-it is detachfabiy connectedv to the harness.y t is alsov cus* tomary in harnesses provicjledfwiththis type to have the loree'ching'-fstraps' demartingal'e. Thisconnection is usually et- Vfefcted hyy means of snaps -or hooks on the' ends Yof' the breaching straps, toengage a suitahl'ering or loop, on the rear endl of the rnarting'ale. Therefore, when it is de sired to remove sucha harness from a horse, three disconnections must be made in the harness ybeneath the horse` before it 'can he nested troni one side of' thel harness and the two loree'ching straps must be' released' from theend off the martingale.. n

By the employment of the novel girth connecting means featured in this invention, the girth and the two loreeching straps may he connectedI to the' lm'artingale by a; single operation, and, in likelmanner, may he separated' therefrom'. The invention is' very simple andinexpensive' in|` construction, pro-g viding a girth connecting means which may he" quickly and readily manipiizlated with-v out i035 of, time.. andorre wil-'nhv Issy be used'in connection withv practically all draft harnesses. 1 ,v I

The specific object ot this invention, therefore, is to` provide an improved girth connecting means adapted for use in connection with draft harnesses whichmay be quick'- ly and readily connected ordisconnected by a single operation.

' @therr ohjectsof' the invention -rnartingale lorl neclyolre lstrana 15.

girth' must" heV discon the drawings:V l"

Figurel is a plcn yv'ie'woif aV portion. oliv aj harness, showing the improved' connecte ing'means provided. for connecting the girth and the hreeching straps-A to the mating'ale':

Figure '2Y is a vertical@sectional,viewy on' the; line 2"-2'l'ofgFiguref1', showing the'con# Figure is abottom view ofthe'Y connect? ing' means, such means hein-g shown inf unV lo'cliingI posit-ion; 'y

K .Figure 4 is `a vvcross .sectional viewon", the line l--Aof Figure 1.1, Y f

Ik ,I will. more fully appear from* the* following-detailed descrip tion.andthev accompanying drawings, y and. will he pointed'4 out. in theannexed claims.. n

` In .the drawings, there has heen disclosed a structure designed tocarry out vthe ohjectsof `the*invention,lout .it is lto be' understood tha-tythe invention is notj connedl; to

the exact features shown, as various changes may he' made within theA` scope of the claims whichv follow.' f Y In the selectedl emhodimento't the invention here shown for'purposes'v of disclosure, there' is illustrated a portion of ak harness comprising-:the bree'ching or quarter straps 11and12, girth' sections`- y13 and 14C and the.4

The breeching'strap 11`an'dl girth-section 13 are preferably secured .tov la metallic rectangulary frame 16 means of anintegral y'loop 17, p'ro'vide"lony one sidev thereof and the end' har 184k off-the frame, as shown' injFigure 1.

suitable integrar gunsten 19a-'nd ai] are provided" upon4 the vupperl portion of the' frame', preferablyY in spaced 'relation thereto, ask indicated ingFigure 2L AAn integral cr'o'ss har22 isr alsoy provided. This crosshailv is preferably in-'horizontal alinement with the' framer 16 and loop 17, and is snhstantia'lly, midwayy between the guide liars 19' andfQ-'L Y @rppos'ed dogs 23- arev pivotally nroun-tedl upon' the lower portion 'of the framevnl, by pivot' 'ainsi orstud'sfll' seo'ufr'ed thereto, andi are' yieldahlyjheld inthe position shown' A in Figure'3,. hy means ot Suitable,spring#aaprfrauy mounted Between `the "twol dogsl upon adepending lug 26, provided upon cross bar 22 of the Jframe r16. V-shaped groove 27 is preferablyprovided upon the inner edge of each dog to receive the ends of thel spring 25.

These dogs are preferably provided with upwardly extending integral lugs 28, which are adapted to engage opposed notches 29 provided upon a flattened head or tongue 31 for the purpose of securely locking such head in the frame 16, when inserted therein.

The tongue 31 is preferably integrally formed upon one end of a suitable shank 32. This shank also has a small frame 33 pivotally connected or hinged to its opposite end, as indicated in higures 1 and 2. The girth section 14 is preferably secured to this frame while the breeching strap 12 is secured to an integral loop 34 provided upon one si-de of the frame 33. The forward end of the tongue 31 is also preferably beveled, as indicated at 35, for the purpose of moving the lugs 28 outwardly against the tension of the spring 25, when the tongue is inserted therebetween.

Thus, when it is desired to connect the girth and the breeching straps to the martingale after the harness has been placed upon the horse, it is only necessary to grasp the shank 32 with one hand and thrust the tongue 31 through the usual loop, provided at the rear end of the martingale. The user will then reach under the horse with his other hand and grasp the frame 16. The tongue 31 will be inserted in the frame until the lugs 28 provided upon the dogs or jaws 23, engage the notches 29 on each side of the tongue, thereby securely locking such tongue in the frame and also positively preventing it from accidentally becoming disengaged therefrom.

To disconnect the girth and also the breeching straps from the martingale, it is only necessary to disengage the lugs 28 from the notches 29, thereby releasing the tongue 31 from the frame 16.

Disengagement of the lugs 28 from the notches 29 is effected. by exerting a slight inward pressure upon the rounded ends of the jaws, thus moving the lugs 28 outwardly and releasing the tongue'and allowing it to fall and the loop of the martingale to slip off and become separated from the girth.

I claim as my invention:

1. A harness girth connecting means comprising interlocking separable members having means for connection respectively with the ends of the girth, one of said members being adapted for connecting the martingale strap thereto and releasing it when said members are separated.

2. A harness girth connecting means comprising a tongue having means for connection wit-h one end of a girth, and a. frame having means for connection with the other end of the girth, and also having means for interlocking with said tongue, said tongue being adapted for connecting the martingale strap thereto.

3. A harness girth comprising a tongue having means for connecting one end of the girth and one of the breeching straps thereto, a frame having means for connecting the other end of the girth and the other breeching strap thereto and also having means for interlocking with said tongue to temporarily secure said tongue and frame together.

l. A harness girth connecting means comprising a shank having means at one `end for connection with one end of the girth and provided with a tongue at its opposite end, said tongue and shank being adapted to pass loosely through a loop in the martingalc strap, a frame havingV meansfor connection with the other end of the girth, and means in said frame for interlocking with said tongue and temporarily securing said shank to said frame, said shank and tongue when disengaged from said frame allowing the martingale strap to become separated therefrom.

5. A harness girth connecting means comprising members adapted for engagement one with the other for detachably connecting the ends of a girth attached respectively to said members in the rear of and adjacent the forelegs of the animal, said members being adapted respectively for connecting the breeching straps thereto.

6. A harness girth connecting means comprising a shank having loops for connection respectively with one end of a girth and one of the breeching straps, said shank having a tongue formed thereon and adapted to pass loosely through a loop in the martingale strap, a frame having loops for connection respectively with the other end of a girth and the other breeching strap, and spring-pressed means mounted in said frame for interlocking with said tongue, said tongue and shank when released allowing the separation of said girth and breeching straps and said martingale strap.

7. A harness girth connecting means Vcoinprising members adapted to interlock one with the other, for connecting the ends of a girth, said members being adapted for connecting the martingale strap and the breeching straps respectively thereto, and releasing the martingale strap when said members are separated.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of March, 1923.

MARCUS RAY COVVELL, 

